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St. James United Methodist Church 646 Daniel Webster Highway Merrimack, NH 03054 Rev. Sharon Lovejoy, Pastor Phyllis Riviere, Office Admin. Contact Us: Office (603) 424-7459 Email: stjamesmrmk@gmail.com Website: www.stjames-umchurch.org

St. James United Methodist Church 646 Daniel Webster Highway

Merrimack, NH 03054 Rev. Lynne Mentzer, Pastor

Robin House, Office Administrator

Contact Us: Office phone: (603)424-7459

Email: stjamesmrmk@gmail.com Stjames-umchurch.org

Facebook: St. James UMC Prayer Request email: sjprayerchain@gmail.com

Website: www.stjames-umchurch.org

Building Christian Community Within and Beyond the Church

On the Inside Pastor’s Message Page 2

Worship Page 3

Diversity Discussions Page 4

Christian Education Page 5

Outreach Missions Page 6

Fellowship Page 7

Community Connections Page 8

Kids Page Page 9

Calendar ----------------------------- Page 10

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Dear Faith Family, There’s an old joke about a man who lived just outside of Fryeburg, Maine, within several yards of the New Hampshire border. One year the state of Maine decided to redraw its western border and the man was informed that, as a result, he was now a resident of New Hampshire. “Thank goodness!” he told his neighbors. “I don’t think I could have stood another Maine winter.” The New England Annual Conference has redrawn its borders. As a result, St. James is now a part of the newly formed Granite District, which includes all UMC churches in New Hampshire. Rev. Taesung Kang is our District Superintendent, and our own Phyllis Riviere is Administrative Assistant. (Contact information can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.) So here’s a bird’s eye view of our district:

There are 84 UMC churches in New Hampshire.

Of those 84 churches, 26 are full time and 58 are part time.

Average worship attendance in 74% of our churches is less than 50; in 51% of our churches it’s less

than 25.

St. James is one of the largest UMC churches in New Hampshire.

But new district borders and names aren’t the only things that are new this year, are they? COVID-19. Protests, riots and racism. An unprecedented presidential campaign. An unknown future. God’s work for us, God’s Spirit among us, God’s Son leading us continues. What does this mean? “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48) We have received much over the years – founding families committed to growing in faith and service to the community; young families eager for their children to know Jesus; generous donors seeking ways to bless others through this church; talented teachers, musicians, and servants of all kinds working hard “to build Christian community within and beyond the church.” Since our founding in 1967 we have received much, and much has been required of us. Just last week one of our members asked if I knew of anyone in danger of losing their home due to layoffs and insufficient government aid. She wanted to help. Two weeks ago another member purchased, wrote and mailed 56 postcards to children, youth and homebound friends of St. James to remind them that God loves them. Several folks contributed to the technology we need to live-stream worship so that those who can’t attend in person can participate at home; and yet another member quietly supplied extra gift cards for the discretionary fund. To each and all, a heartfelt “thank you.” In a recent conversation with David Abbott, the director of stewardship for the New England United Methodist Foundation, he asked why we do these things. Our best answer? “In response to God.” Continued on p. 3.

Pastor’s Message

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Pastor’s message, continued

We worship in response to God.

We give generously in response to God.

We offer hospitality in response to God.

We feed and clothe and support our neighbors in response to God.

We learn and teach in response to God.

We welcome change in response to God.

We initiate change in response to God.

We love in response to God.

If all this is true, St. James will continue to grow in our commitment “to build Christian community within and beyond the church” … in response to God. We’ll give thanks for whatever state we’re in and weather the winters just fine. This is my prayer. Blessings, Lynne

A New Target Date Has Been Set for In-person Worship

The re-opening team has decided to wait a few more weeks for in-person worship services. The new target date is August 30. The capacity of the sanctuary with social distancing is limited to 42 people. You will need to make reservations by calling the church office at 424-7459 or email stjamesmrmk@gmail.com. Seating will be directed by the ushers.

Celebrate Holy Communion on August 2

Pastor Lynne invites everyone to receive communion in person on Sunday, August 2 from 9:30 to 10 am. The communion elements will be individually wrapped. Safety guidelines will be implemented such as one-way traffic (we will come in up the ramp and through the side door and exit through the front door making an exception for those who need to use the ramp both ways), staying 6 feet apart, wearing masks, and the use of hand sanitizer. Masks will be available for anyone who does not bring their own. The worship service will still be online. If you do not feel comfortable coming

to receive communion in person, the Love Feast will still be included in the online worship service.

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pronounced phenomenon known as “code switching.” Code switching happens when people feel they need to change the way they express themselves in order to meet the unwritten expectations of a social situation. Especially when code switching happens in mixed racial environments, it goes beyond language and includes adjusted mannerisms and behaviors that work to help a person “blend “with the dominant norms of the environment. In the book The Hate U Give by Angela Thomas there are many examples where the young protagonist, Starr, adjusts her speech and behavior in order to fit in with her life as a student in a predominantly white school and again when she is home in her predominantly black neighborhood. Sometimes Starr recognizes she is making this switch and other times it just happens, but in either case it often exhausts and confuses her because recognizes she is hiding and changing who she is in order to feel part of the group. The St. James UMC Diversity Team book group will be meeting on August 5th at 5:30 pm at St. James. We will have seating to accommodate social distancing guidelines while we discuss the book and some of the difficult topics it brings up about diversity, equity, and social justice. Please join us. If you haven’t had a chance to read the book, please come anyway and know that you will have an opportunity to share thoughts and to reflect on some of the physical, social, educational, and emotional challenges young minorities face in the United States today. Also, The Hate U Give has been made into a movie! If you would like to get more involved in the Diversity Team, perhaps you would be willing to find out more about how we could show this movie at St. James and organize an opportunity to share the experience with our community. If interested, please call Beverly Doolan or Mollie Gerardo.

August 2020 Diversity Discussions Submitted by Beverly Doolan

We all have situations in which we have to adjust our speaking in order to communicate effectively with our audience. But sometimes, especially among bilingual speakers and groups with different racial and ethnic backgrounds, there is a more

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Sunday School Options

As our re-opening team is considering all of the options for resuming our in-person worship services, we would like you to know that we are thinking of ways to include our families with children. We wish going back to Sunday school were as simple as setting a re-opening date and resuming our normal activities. Unfortunately we’re going to have to find a new normal.

We will be using a multi-age curriculum called the “Whole People of God” which is designed for children ages 3-18. The children can all learn the same lesson with activities that are appropriate for their age group.

Social distancing guidelines limits the capacity of our sanctuary to 42 people, so in-person worship will be set up on a reservation basis. Therefore, we might not be able to have every family in church every week. In order to include every child in our weekly activities, we will send the Sunday school materials to every child. Those that come to Sunday school can do the activities here and those that stay home that week can do their activities at home.

Two of our Sunday school teachers will not be able to join us this fall. Jen Savoy will begin her internship at Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord in September and Hannah Cote has moved out of the area. When we do resume Sunday school, we will need additional volunteers. If you feel like God is calling you to teach, please let us know.

We welcome your input and ideas. If you have other suggestions, please let us know by email stjamesmrmk@gmail.com or call the office at 424-7459.

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OUTREACH MISSIONS

Thank You from Marguerite’s Place

Thank you for supporting our families during our Mother’s Day Match Program! We are continuing to work at keeping our families safe, stable, and secure here at Marguerite’s Place. Your donation of $185 helps us to continue providing services such as food distribution, rent forgiveness, household item supply, and

much more. Most importantly, your donation supports our continued connection with our families daily through case management support.

Mother’s Day is a special time for us at Marguerite’s Place, and this year was no exception. Mother’s Day reminded staff who they are working so hard for, donors who they are supporting, and the Moms themselves who they are striving to be. We could not do this without you.

Here are some to the responses we’ve received from our residents during this crisis:

”It makes me feel secure knowing that you ladies have my back during this uncertain time.” - Sarah

“I feel so lucky I’m HERE during this…I can’t imagine if I was still living alone.” - Christy

“To see how much love you all have for our children and for us is such a blessing.” – Erica

With your generosity and support, we will continue to support our families in the challenging months ahead. If you would like to learn more about our monthly giving program. Please give us a call – Christa at 603-598-1582 x 15.

Thank you again for all your support!

Sincerely,

Hannah Stohler

Executive Director

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FELLOWSHIP

Campus Ministries

Help us to stay connected with our youth that are attending college (away, at home, or on-line) or serving in the military. Return this form to the church office or you can forward the information directly to Brenda DuLong at bsdulong@gmail.com.

Student Name ______________________________________________________________________

School Name _______________________________________________________________________

Anticipated Graduation Date ____________________________

Birthday Date ___________________________________________

Allergies to any foods: _____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Hot Dogz for Alz

Purchase 2 grilled hot dogs, chips and a drink for $5 to

support the MA/NH Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association Place: Our Lady of Mercy Church Date: Thursday, August 6, 2020 Time: 11 am -7pm

Resources for Seniors

SeniorAdvice.com, a senior care organization dedicated to providing tools and essential resources to help enhance the lives of older adults has published a web page that provides extremely well detailed and thorough information for families and senior citizens who are researching available care options and programs that can help maintain their independence and quality of life. This free resource provides comprehensive information on topics like financial support and care options that are available in every city and state across the country. You can read more about their work by visiting https://www.senioradvice.com/assisted-living.

Here at St. James (outdoor only) Saturday, August 8

8am to noon

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SMALL BLESSINGS

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RC – Flying Eagle Remote Club FIN – Finance Committee CH Council – Church Council UMM – United Methodist Men ECOH – Eagle Court of Honor (Scouts)

GS – Girl Scouts BS – Boy Scouts CS – Cub Scouts

GG – Good Grief FIT – Get Fit & Strong Fitness Class YG – Youth Group

FH – Fellowship Hall CR – Conference Room S – Sanctuary P - Parlor UC – Undercroft CL - Classrooms W – Wesley Room

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